Conveyer



(No Model.)

W. J. SELLEGK.

OONVEYER.

No. 405.608. Patented June 18, 1889. v

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM JACKSON SELLECK, OF RIVERSIDE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO HAMILTON BORDEN AND WILLIAM E. SELLECK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CONVEYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 405,608, dated June 18, 1889. Application filed April 28, 1888. $erial No, 272,106. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: described, and at the same time to have such Be it known that I, WILLIAM JACKSON a chain of the simplest possible construction SELLECK, a citizen of the United States, reas to cheapness in production. These obsiding in the city of Riverside, in the county jeets are attained by devices illustrated in of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have the accompanying drawings, in which 5 5 invented certain new and useful Improve- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a conments in Conveyers, of which the following veyer chain and plates embodying my invenis a specification. tion; Fig. 2, a detail top plan view of the link This invention relates to improvements in chain connecting the eonveyer-plates; Fig. 3,

1o conveyers in which the conveyer-trough has a detail perspective View of the eonveyer= a bottom converging toward its center of trough, and Fig. 4 an end elevation of the idth and the push-plates of the endless trough, showing the operative position of the chain or carrier are hexagonal shaped, so as plates therein. to conform to the bottom of the trough, where- Similar letters of reference indicate the r 5 by the material to be conveyed will drift tosame parts in the several figures of the drawward the center or lower'point of the trough in gs. I and be cleanly swept forward by the convey- The conveyer-trough involved in myinvener-plates. tion is composed of side sills a, faced inter- Prior to my invention the endless chain to nally of the trough by metal plates 1), the bot- 20 which the conveyor-plates were attached fretom 0 of said trough being composed of sheet quently become clogged by the material to be metal bent to a V-shaped form in cross-secconveyed, and particularly lumps of coal, ore, tion and secured to the sides of the trough by and gravel, and by reason of said lumps, &c., any means suitable for that purpose. In other crowdinginbetween the ends of opposinglinks words, the bottom of the trough conforms to 2 5 and the joint formed by the link connectthe V-shaped ends of theheXagonal-likeplates ing such. opposing links, the flexibility of the B, a result of which construction is that the chain was destroyed, and the chain frequently material to be conveyed drifts toward the centwisted to such an extent that not only were ter or lowest point of the trough, and is therethe links and plates injuriously strained and foreswept cleanly along the trough by the 30 bent, but the operation of the chain stopped, conveyer-plates. These conveyor-plates are and the conveyor clogged to such an extent as secured to supporting-links C, which links to require that substantially the entire con are preferably in two sections, detachably setents of the trough be removed by hand, the cured. together by means of screw-threaded lumps chiseled out of the links, and many of ends working in collars or shoulders, between 35 the links and plates removed and straightened which the plate is firmly clamped when said 8 5 before the conveyor could again be operated. two parts are secured together. Between the Furthermore, when the links were not so supporting-links of each plate are main links clogged as to stop the machine, the operation D, which are oval in form and in any desired of the chain and plates was rendered jerky to number, which links D, as also the links 0,

40 such an extent as to not only render the opare arranged with their broad sides parallel 9Q eration of the machine extremely slow, but to with the sides of the plates, so as to offer as in a short timeinjure the entire machine and nearly as possible no resistance to the matethe power for operating it. rial in the trough while passing through it,

Theobjects of my invention are to avoid and all of said links are also arranged with 4 5 all these several objections by eombinin g with their ends opposing. and not overlapping each 5 the plates and the trough a chain of such a other. The main links D are actuated toconstruction and in such a relative position get-her and to the supporting-links 0, when to the trough and plates that it will offer no arranged in the manner above described, by substantial resistance to the contents of the connecting-links E, the inner diameter of P 50 trough, be at all liable to be clogged, as above which connecting-links corresponds with the outer diameter of the two opposing end bars of the main and supporting links, as the case may be, so that these opposing end bars shall be held substantially in contact with each other, without at the same time obstructing the free movement of the end bars on each other and diminishing the flexibility of the chain so formed, for the purposes of traversing the pulleys over which they run when in operation in a conveyor.

The connecting-links E may be circular without diminishing their function of maintaining the main links in alignment with each other, but in practice are preferably slightly flattened on their sides, so as to closely embrace the outer sides of the end bars of the main links, as the inner edges thereof, and leave the least possible opening at any point between the connecting-links and the main links Whether the connecting-links are perfectly round or slightly flattened on their sides, as above described, they offer no substantial resistance to the contents of the trough in passing through it, and being made of round iron they, on the other hand, serve to direct such material away from the main links, and thereby not only promote the free movement of the main links through said contents, but any clogging of the contents between the side bars of the main links. The main links and the connecting-links are preferably made round in cross-section; but whether or not so made, there is no space between the ends of the main links or between said links and the connecting-links for the lodgmentof any portion of the contents of the trough or of the opposing of said contents suflicient to obstruct a free movement of the links either through the trough or on each other or to cause said links to in any manner become a factor promoting the choking of the trough by its contents; but, on the other hand, the movement of thelinks in the trough and on each other is so freely maintained at all times that, as has been practically demonstrated, they effectually prevent the contents of the trough from choking it under the most unfavorable circumstances of the supply of said contents to the trough. All this is not only due to maintaining the end bars of the main links in close opposition to each other, but to the fact that the form of the connecting-links is such that they offer no obstruction and maintain the main links from twisting to an extent retarding their passage through the contents, while at the same time enabling said links to have that degree of flexibility necessary for the sufficient pivotal movement, as it were, to swing out of the way of lumps which might otherwise retard their movement. Furthermore, upon the freeness of movement of the chain through the contents of the trough depends the successful operation of the plates or buckets, for otherwise the plates are twisted relative to the trough and with a tendency to pinch or wedge therein, and are also jerky, and any jerking or wedging of the plates is not only injurious to the plates and the chain, but to the machinery actuating them, and besides in time injuriously racks the trough.

The importance of my invention may be appreciated when it is understood that heretofore there has been considerable latitude of movement between the 'end bars of the main links, and in many instances both the main links and the connecting-links have been of the same dimensions, and as a result there is a clogging of the chain and trough, the twisting and jerking of the plates already described, and, so far as I am now aware, no effort has been made to prevent this except by the use of what is commonly known as drive-chains or detachable link-chains; but as such chains present projections and have pivot-bearings they are not practical in conveyers, for the same reasons as the form of chains before mentioned, and for the further reason that the dust of coal, ore, &c.,accumulating in their joints destroys their pivotal action to such an extent that their freedom of action against pulleys or pocketsi's materially retarded. v

The maintaining of the main links in alignment with each other and from being clogged is particularly important in connection with conveyers provided with hexagonal carrierplates working in a trough having a V-shaped bottom, for, owing to the extent of bearingsurface of such plates and their points in the trough, a twisting of the plates so slight as not to be materially objectionable in other forms of plates would result in creating such a friction and pinching of these hexagonal plates in the trough as to materially promote a stoppage of the conveyer; but by maintaining such plates in a perfect operative position as is enabled by this invention the effectiveness of 'such plates is substantially promoted.

In the uses to which conveyers of this character are employed the discharge thereof is at a point between two of the sprocket-wheels carrying the conveyer-chain, which sprocketwheels are arranged in the angular corners of the box, and as a result any lumps ofcoal, stone, or other material carried by the chain, passing the discharge, are forced therefrom and discharged into the corner of thetrough, and in the chains heretofore employed the accumulation in said corners is so rapid as to require frequent removal in order to avoid injury to the chain and carrier-plates and prevent their choking; but, notwithstanding the exercise of great diligence in removing this accumulation, the chain and buckets not only frequently become injured and choked, but the resistance of a single lump, forcing the chain and buckets outwardly from the sprocket, is sufficient to cause such stoppage and require the cleaning out of the conveyer before it can again operate. By my invention, however, no such choking or stoppage can arise, for as no lumps can remain on the chain after passing the point of discharge the cause of such stoppage and clogging is entirely removed.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. In a conveyer, the combination of a trough, the carrierplates, the supportinglinks thereof, a series of main links and a series of connecting-links embracing the main links, the inner longitudinal diameter of said connecting-links corresponding substantially with the diameters of the two opposing end bars of the main links confined therein, substantially as described.

2. In a conveyor, the combination of a trough, the carrier-plates, the supportinglinks thereof, the main links, and a series of connecting-links uniting said main links and supporting-links and having an inner diameter corresponding with the diameters of the end bars of the two opposing main links working therein, the sides of said main links and connecting-links being respectively arranged parallel and at a right angle to the sides of the carrier-plates, substantially as described.

3. In a conveyer, the combination of the carrier-plates, the supporting-links thereof, the main links, and a series of connectinglinks, the inner longitudinal diameter of which corresponds with the diameters of the two opposing end bars of the main links and the transverse diameter of said connecting-links with the diameter of one of said end bars, substantially as described.

4. In a oonveyer, the combination of a conveyer-trough the bottom of which is V-shaped in cross-section, a series of hexagonal-shaped carrier-plates, the supporting-links thereof, a series of main links and a series of connecting-links, the longitudinal and transverse diameters of which latter correspond, respectively, with the diameters of the two opposing end bars of the main links and the diameter of one of said bars, substantially as described.

WILLIAM JAoK'soN SELLECK.

\Vitnesses:

ISABEL SELLEoK, M. E. SELLEOK. 

